1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for applying paint stripes or the like to highways or other paved surfaces. An aspect of the invention relates to a method and apparatus particularly suited for applying to such surfaces a curable epoxy coating composition having first and second components.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known to apply paint stripes or the like to a paved surface, such as a highway, to mark that surface for various purposes. A common example of the use of such paint stripes are those used to mark highways, streets, and other roadways into lanes for vehicular traffic control. The particular method and apparatus used to apply such stripes to the paved surface depends to some degree on the specific type of coating composition being utilized for the highway stripes. Conventionally, when applying the usual highway-type paint compositions, various types of nozzles have been utilized for simply spraying the paint composition intermittently onto the highway to form the stripes. Such equipment generally includes a truck having a paint applying nozzle mounted thereon, and also often includes a dispenser for dropping glass beads or other reflective material onto the paint after it has been applied to the surface. Alternatively, the glass beads are sometimes incorporated into the paint composition before it is sprayed out onto the roadway surface. In any event, conventional highway striping methods and apparatus generally involve equipment for both spraying the highway marking composition and incorporating glass beads with that composition.
The preparation of the paved surface prior to receiving the marking composition has not received a great deal of attention when applying conventional highway marking compositions. Generally, conventional highway striping paint compositions must be applied in fair, dry weather. Rainy conditions cause such paint compositions to smear or run. Furthermore, other types of highway marking compositions, such as modified chlorinated-rubber type coatings, are also difficult to apply to damp roadway surfaces. This requires either careful preparation of the roadway surface or limiting the time in which the striping operations are carried out to those prevailing during fair weather conditions.
In applicant's prior U.S. patent application, Ser. No. 635,694, entitled "Method of Marking Paved Surfaces And Curable Two Part Epoxy Systems Therefor," filed Nov. 26, 1975, applicant has disclosed an improved highway coating composition which exhibits a greatly improved combination of properties over the highway marking compositions conventionally used; for example, good adhesion to road surfaces, ability to be applied under a wide variety of ambient temperature and road surface conditions (including cold weather, the presence of moisture, etc.), minimal solvent hazards during application, good retention of reflectorizing fillers (e.g. glass beads), long term weather-resistance, good sprayability and flowability, resistance to chemical attack by water or de-icing salts, good wetting action, flexibility, and the ability to be applied without any special chemical priming of the road surface. This coating composition further exhibits the ability to become tack-free within a short period of time under any of the aforementioned road surface conditions. Applicant's novel coating composition comprises a curable, two component epoxy system in which the components must first be mixed together before their application to a paved surface.